Decorative basket assembly and method for producing same

ABSTRACT

A basket wrapping material forming a bow in a wrapping about an outer periphery of a basket. The basket wrapping material forms both a bow and a closure in the sheet of material about a basket. Methods of wrapping a basket with a basket wrapping material which forms both a bow and a closure.

CROSS-REFERENCE TO RELATED APPLICATIONS

[0001] This application is a continuation-in-part of U.S. Ser. No.07/958,666, filed Oct. 8, 1992, entitled BASKET WRAPPING MATERIAL HAVINGAT LEAST A PORTION OF AN ADHESIVE AND/OR COHESIVE THEREON AND METHOD.

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION

[0002] 1. Field of the Invention

[0003] This invention generally relates to basket wrapping materialsand, more importantly, to basket wrapping materials having at least aportion of an adhesive and/or cohesive thereon, and methods of usingsame.

[0004] 2. Background Art

[0005] Various methods of wrapping baskets have been provided over theyears. None, however, have been provided which provide a sheet ofmaterial which simultaneously wraps a basket, provides a closure to saidwrapping and provides a decorative bow at the top of the wrapping.

SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION

[0006] A need has been felt in the art to provide a basket wrappingmaterial which simultaneously wraps a basket, provides a closure to thewrapping, and also provides a decorative bow, formed from the sheet ofmaterial, at the top of the present invention. The present inventionprovides a basket wrapping material which forms a bow in a wrappingwrapped about a basket. The present basket wrapping material comprises asheet of material having an upper surface, a lower surface, and an outerperiphery. The sheet of material is constructed of a flexible material.The sheet of material has a plurality of bonding materials disposed onat least one surface. The plurality of bonding materials are utilized toform both a bow and a closure in the sheet of material, when the sheetof material is wrapped about an outer periphery of a basket. Whenwrapped about a basket, the outer periphery of the sheet of materialextends above a basket, thereby forming a wrapping. When one of theplurality of bonding materials is connected to another of the pluralityof bonding materials adjacent thereto, a loop in the outer periphery ofthe sheet of material is created. Both a bow and a closure in the sheetof material is formed when each of the plurality of adjacent bondingmaterials is connected together, creating a plurality of loops in theouter periphery of the sheet of material. The plurality of loops formboth a bow above the wrapping and a closure of the sheet of materialabout a basket.

[0007] The basket wrapping material may be made from polymer film,fabric, cloth, fiber, paper, burlap, cellulose, foil or combinationsthereof. The basket wrapping material may be formed from a sheet ofmaterial having a thickness in a range of about 0.2 mils to about 10mils. The basket wrapping material may also be formed from a sheet ofmaterial having a thickness in a range of about 0.5 mils to about 3.5mils. The basket wrapping material may have a bonding material whichcomprises a plurality of adhesive spots which extend about the outerperiphery of the sheet of material. The basket wrapping material may,alternatively, have a bonding material which comprises a plurality ofcohesive spots which extend about the outer periphery of the sheet ofmaterial. The basket wrapping material comprises a sheet of materialwhich may further comprise a bag, or, alternatively, a sleeve.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

[0008]FIG. 1 is a perspective view of the basket wrapping material ofthe present invention.

[0009]FIG. 1A is a cross-sectional partial view of FIG. 1 takensubstantially along the lines 1A-1A of FIG. 1.

[0010]FIG. 2 is a perspective view of a basket used in the presentinvention.

[0011]FIG. 3 is a perspective view of a modified basket wrappingmaterial constructed exactly like the material of FIGS. 1-1A, butshowing a release strip partially connected thereto.

[0012]FIG. 4 is perspective view showing one method of disposing abasket on a basket wrapping material.

[0013]FIG. 5 is a perspective view of the basket and basket wrappingmaterial shown in FIG. 4, showing a basket partially wrapped.

[0014]FIG. 6 is a perspective view of the basket and basket wrappingmaterial shown in FIGS. 4 and 5, showing a basket wrapped.

[0015]FIG. 7 is a perspective view of another modified basket wrappingmaterial.

[0016]FIG. 8 is a perspective view of a modified basket.

[0017]FIG. 9 is a perspective view of yet another modified basketwrapping material.

[0018]FIG. 10 is a cross-sectional partial view of FIG. 9 takensubstantially along the lines 10-10 of FIG. 9.

[0019]FIG. 11 is a perspective view of yet another modified basketwrapping material, showing a pad of sheets of materials.

[0020]FIG. 12 is a perspective view of FIG. 11, showing a sheet ofmaterial partially connected to the pad of sheets of materials.

[0021]FIG. 13 is a perspective view of the basket wrapping materialshown in FIGS. 11 and 12, showing a sheet of material completelydisconnected from the pad of sheets of materials.

[0022]FIG. 14 is perspective view of a plurality of basket wrappingmaterials, but formed into a continuous roll of material disposed in adispenser.

[0023]FIG. 15 is a perspective view of the material of FIGS. 1-1A, butformed into a roll of material comprising a single sheet of material.

[0024]FIG. 16 is a perspective view of still another modified basket andbasket wrapping material, showing a basket disposed on the material.

[0025]FIG. 17 is a schematic perspective view of a modified basketwrapping material made in accordance with the present invention, showingan area encircled for use in sectional views.

[0026]FIG. 18 is an enlarged schematic perspective sectional view of themodified basket wrapping material of FIG. 17, showing a portion of theplurality of bonding material spots.

[0027]FIG. 19 is an enlarged schematic perspective sectional view of themodified basket wrapping material of FIG. 18, but showing the bonding ofa portion of two of the plurality of bonding material spots resulting inthe formation of a loop of basket wrapping material.

[0028]FIG. 20 is an enlarged schemative perspective view of the modifiedbasket wrapping material of FIG. 19, but showing the bonding of anotherportion of two of the plurality of bonding material spots resulting inthe formation of an additional loop of basket wrapping material.

[0029]FIG. 21 is a top plan view of a basket wrapped in accordance withthe present invention as illustrated in FIG. 17, showing the bow formedfrom loops formed in the basket wrapping material.

[0030]FIG. 22 is a side elevational view of the wrapped basket of FIG.21, showing the formed bow and closure of the basket wrapping materialabout the basket.

[0031]FIG. 23 is a schematic perspective view of another modified basketwrapping material made in accordance with the present invention, showingan area encircled for use in sectional views.

[0032]FIG. 24 is an enlarged schematic perspective sectional view of themodified basket wrapping material of FIG. 23, showing a portion of theplurality of bonding material spot pairs.

[0033]FIG. 25 is an enlarged schematic perspective sectional view of themodified basket wrapping material of FIG. 24, but showing the bonding ofa portion of two of the plurality of bonding material spot pairsresulting in the formation of a loop of basket wrapping material.

[0034]FIG. 26 is an enlarged schemative perspective view of the modifiedbasket wrapping material of FIG. 25, but showing the bonding of anotherportion of two of the plurality of bonding material spot pairs resultingin the formation of an additional loop of basket wrapping material.

[0035]FIG. 27 is a top plan view of a basket wrapped in accordance withthe present invention as illustrated in FIG. 23, showing the bow formedfrom loops formed in the basket wrapping material.

[0036]FIG. 28 is a side elevational view of the wrapped basket of FIG.27, showing the formed bow and closure of the basket wrapping materialabout the basket.

[0037]FIG. 29 is a schematic perspective view of another modified basketwrapping material made in accordance with the present invention, showingthe sheet of material formed into a bag.

[0038]FIG. 30 is a top plan view of a basket wrapped in accordance withthe present invention as illustrated in FIG. 29, showing the bow formedfrom loops formed in the basket wrapping material.

[0039]FIG. 31 is a side elevational view of the wrapped basket of FIG.30, showing the formed bow and closure of the basket wrapping materialabout the basket.

[0040]FIG. 32 is a schematic perspective view of another modified basketwrapping material made in accordance with the present invention, showingthe sheet of material formed into a sleeve.

[0041]FIG. 33 is a top plan view of a basket wrapped in accordance withthe present invention as illustrated in FIG. 32, showing the bow formedfrom loops formed in the basket wrapping material.

[0042]FIG. 34 is a side elevational view of the wrapped basket of FIG.33, showing the formed bow and closure of the basket wrapping materialabout the basket.

DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENTS Embodiments of FIGS. 1-6

[0043] Referring to FIGS. 1-6, designated generally by the referencenumeral 10 is a basket wrapping material which is constructed inaccordance with the present invention for wrapping at least a portion ofa basket. The basket wrapping material 10 is used to wrap about theouter surface of the basket. One such basket is shown in FIG. 2, and isgenerally designated by the numeral 12. The basket 12 has an upper end14, a lower end 16, and an outer surface 18. An opening 19 is formed inthe basket 12, with a portion of the basket opening 19 intersecting theupper end 14 of the basket 12 forming an inner surface 20. The basketopening 19 is sized and shaped for receiving items (not shown). Theitems are retained in the basket opening 19 by the basket 12. The basket12, in embodiments illustrated herein, has a handle 21 (FIGS. 2, 4-6)which attaches to the basket near the basket opening 19. It will beappreciated, however, that baskets 12 without handles may be utilized asdescribed herein. Examples of baskets 12 which are used in accordancewith the present invention include, but not by way of limitation, fruitbaskets, Easter baskets, picnic baskets, flower baskets, and the like.It will be appreciated that other baskets not mentioned herein but knownin the art may also be utilized in conjunction with the presentinvention.

[0044] Referring to FIGS. 1 and 1A, the basket wrapping material 10comprises a sheet of material 22. The sheet of material has an uppersurface 24, a lower surface 26, and an outer periphery 28.

[0045] In the embodiment shown in FIG. 1, the sheet of material 22 isround. It will be appreciated, however, that any shape or size ofmaterial 22 or any combination of sheets of material 22, may be used towrap about the outer surface 18 of a basket 12 of any shape or size. Forexample, a round sheet 22 may be used to wrap a square basket 12, orvice versa. Moreover, when multiple sheets of material 22 are used incombination, the sheets of material 22 need not be uniform in size orshape. It will also be appreciated that the basket wrapping material 10shown in all embodiments herein is substantially flat.

[0046] The basket wrapping material 10 may be made from a variety ofmaterials. Examples of some basket wrapping materials used in accordancewith the present invention are polymer films, fabric, cloth, fiber,paper, cellulose, (including cellophane), burlap, foil, or anycombination thereof.

[0047] The term “polymer film” means a man-made polymer such as apolypropylene or a naturally occurring polymer such as cellophane. Apolymer film is relatively strong and not as subject to tearing(substantially non-tearable), as might be the case with paper or foil.

[0048] Each sheet of material 22 may vary in color. Further, each sheetof material 22 may consist of designs which are printed, etched, and/orembossed; in addition, each sheet of material 22 may have variouscolorings, coatings, flockings and/or metallic finishes, or becharacterized totally or partially by neon, pearlescent, translucent,transparent, iridescent, or the like characteristics. Each of theabove-named characteristics may occur alone or in combination. Moreover,each surface of the sheet of material 22 may vary in the combination ofsuch characteristics, that is, a surface of the sheet of material, orany portion thereof, may have any of the above-described features,and/or may be clear, tinted, opaque, translucent or tinted transparent.

[0049] The sheet of material 22 may be constructed of a single sheet ofmaterial or a plurality of sheets. Any thickness of the sheet ofmaterial 22 may be utilized in accordance with the present invention aslong as the sheet of material may be disposed about the outer surface 18of a basket 12 as described herein. Typically, the sheet of material 22has a thickness in a range of about 0.2 mils to about 10 mils. In oneembodiment, the sheet of material 22 is constructed from one sheet ofpolymer film having a thickness in a range from about 0.2 mils to about3.5 mils.

[0050] As shown in FIGS. 1 and 1A, a plurality of bonding material spots30 are disposed on the upper surface 24 of the sheet of material 22(only one of the plurality of bonding material spots is identified bythe numeral 30). While the bonding material spots 30 are shown hereindisposed on the upper surface 24 of the sheet of material 22, it will beappreciated that the bonding material spots 30 may be disposed on thelower surface 26, or the bonding material spots 30 may be disposed bothon the upper surface 24 and the lower surface 26 of the sheet ofmaterial 22. These “spots” 30 comprise a bonding material which may, asillustrated in FIGS. 1-1A and 3, comprise an adhesive. Alternatively,the bonding material spots 30 may comprise a cohesive, as shown in FIG.7. In addition, the bonding material spots 30 may comprise anadhesive/cohesive combination, that is, some bonding material spots maybe adhesive, while other bonding material spots may be cohesive (notshown). The bonding material spots 30 may cover substantially the entireupper surface 24 of the sheet of material 22. Or, in a furtheralternative, the bonding material spots 30 may comprise a secondmaterial (as shown in FIGS. 9-10) having at least a portion thereofimpregnated with a bonding material spot 30 or a plurality of bondingmaterial spots 30 (i.e., a bonding material comprising an adhesive, acohesive, or an adhesive/cohesive combination). The bonding materialspots 30 may also only be disposed in certain locations on the sheet ofmaterial 22. Any material known in the art and commercially availablewhich is capable of retaining one or more bonding material spots 30disposed thereon and/or incorporated therein may be utilized.

[0051] The bonding material spots 30 impart sufficient adhesion, and/orcohesion to permit the sheet of material 22 to be disposed about theouter surface 18 of the basket 12, with the upper surface 24 of thesheet of material 22 disposed adjacent to the outer surface 18 of thebasket 12 so that the bonding material spots 30 on the sheet of material22 contact the outer surface 18 of the basket 12 for adhesively, and/orcohesively connecting the sheet of material 22 to the outer surface 18of the basket 12. That is, the upper surface 24 of the sheet of material22 via the bonding material spots 30 thereon connects to the outersurface 18 of the basket 12, the upper surface 24 of the sheet ofmaterial 22 may alternatively connect to like portions of itself aswell, as shown in FIGS. 5 and 6. In this manner, a customized fit of thesheet of material 22 to the outer surface 18 of the basket 12 isobtained, even when the sheet of material 22 is shaped and sizeddifferently than the basket 12. It will be appreciated that when thesheet of material 22 is placed about a basket 12, the sheet of material22 covers substantially the entire outer surface 18 of the basket 12. Itwill also be appreciated that the bonding material spots 30 illustratedin FIGS. 1-6 comprise an adhesive.

[0052] The bonding material spots 30 may comprise a plurality of bondingmaterial spots 30 extending over the upper surface 24 of the sheet ofmaterial 22, as shown in FIG. 1. The bonding material spots 30 maycomprise one or a plurality of strips (FIG. 3), or alternatively, avariety of shapes and designs, which may be geometric (squares,rectangles, triangles, and the like), or fanciful, or abstract and/orasymmetrical (for example, hearts, flowers, slogans, printed letters ornumbers, characters), or any combination thereof. It will be appreciatedthat the bonding material spots 30 may vary, spot-to-spot, with regardto size, shape, and placement on the sheet of material 22.

[0053] The bonding material spots 30 shown in all embodiments herein maycomprise one or a variety of colors. Ink, dye, pigments, or anycombination thereof of any color or combination of colors can be mixedwith the bonding material spots 30, to create colored bonding materialspots 30. It will be appreciated that all bonding material spots 30described and illustrated herein are substantially flat.

[0054] The bonding material spots 30 are disposed on the upper surface24 of the sheet of material 22 by spraying, lacquering, or painting suchbonding material thereupon. Alternatively, the bonding material spots 30may be disposed upon the sheet of material 22 by any method known in theart. The bonding material spots 30 are also disposed on a basket 12 byany method described and/or shown herein. The bonding materials(adhesive, cohesive, or combinations thereof) described herein are wellknown in the art and commercially available.

[0055] The bonding material spots 30 convey non-permanent fasteningproperties to the sheet of material 22, and to the basket 12, permittingthe sheet of material 22 to engagingly contact and connect to the basket12. “Non-permanent fastening properties,” as used herein, means that thespots 30 permit the sheet of material 22 to engagingly contact andconnect to the outer surface 18 of the basket 12, or alternatively, theouter surface of the sheet of material 22. These same non-permanentfastening properties of the bonding material spots 30 permit a firm yettemporary engagement of the sheet of material 22 to the outer surface 18of the basket 12, or of the sheet of material to itself. Suchnon-permanent fastening properties also permit the quick and easyremoval of the sheet of material 22 from the basket 12. The bondingmaterial spots 30 have non-permanent fastening properties which providesufficient strength of engagement to firmly contact and hold the sheetof material 22 to the outer surface 18 of the basket 12, yet these samenon-permanent fastening properties also permit the ready release of thesheet of material 22 from the basket 12 when the sheet of material 22 ispulled away therefrom, without causing portions of the sheet of material22 to remain attached to the basket 12. Such “non-permanent fasteningproperties” are found in the adhesives, particularly, but not by way oflimitation, pressure-sensitive adhesives, and in some cohesives.Adhesives and/or cohesive bonding materials having permanent fasteningproperties may alternatively be utilized.

[0056] As illustrated in FIG. 3, the bonding material spots 30 on theupper surface 24 of the sheet of material 22 may be covered with atleast one release strip 32. The release strip 32 is used to protect thebonding material spots 30 before the upper surface 24 of the sheet ofmaterial 22 and the bonding material spots 30 thereon is disposedadjacent the outer surface 18 of the basket 12. The release strip 32 hasan upper surface 34, a lower surface 36, and an outer periphery 38. Thelower surface 36 of the release strip 32 is disposed adjacent thebonding material spots 30 on the upper surface 24 of the sheet ofmaterial 22. It will be appreciated that the release strip 32 is alsosubstantially flat.

[0057] FIGS. 4-6 illustrate one method of use of the present invention.First, a sheet of material 22 and a basket 12, as described in detailabove, are provided. The release strip 32 is removed from the uppersurface 24 of the sheet of material 22. Then, the sheet of material 22is placed on a relatively horizontal surface with the lower surface 26of the sheet of material 22 adjacent to the horizontal surface. A basket12 is then placed in the approximate center of the upper surface 24 ofthe sheet of material 22. The bonding material spots 30 on the uppersurface 24 are thereby disposed adjacent to and engagingly contact theouter surface 18 of the basket 12 contacting the sheet of material 22.An operator then spreads and disposes the sheet of material 22 upward,in a general direction U over the outer surface 18 of the basket 12 topermit the bonding material spots 30 on the upper surface 24 of thesheet of material 22 to be disposed adjacent to and engagingly contact agreater surface area of the outer surface 18 of the basket 12, and tosimultaneously engagingly contact like portions of itself as well, forconnecting both one like portion of the upper surface 24 of the sheet ofmaterial 22 to at least one other like portion thereof, creatingoverlapping folds 39, the sheet of material 22 thereby simultaneouslycontacting and connecting to the outer surface 18 of the basket whileconforming to the outer surface 18 of the basket 12. The bondingmaterial spots 30 on the upper surface 24 of the sheet of material 22engagingly contact the outer surface 18 of the basket 12 therebyconnecting the sheet of material 22 to the outer surface 18 of thebasket 12. The connections of the sheet of material 22 to like portionsthereof, creating overlapping folds 39, and to the outer surface 18 ofthe basket 12 produces a contoured and customized fit of the sheet ofmaterial 22 to the outer surface 18 of the basket 12. The operatorcontinues to dispose the sheet of material 22 upward, in the generaldirection U, continuing to connect the sheet of material 22 to the outersurface 18 of the basket 12 while substantially covering, surroundingand encompassing the outer surface 18 of the basket 12 with the sheet ofmaterial 22, and substantially enclosing the basket 12 in the sheet ofmaterial 22 by twisting the remaining portions of the sheet of material22 which extend above the basket 12 together (not shown), or by pressingthem together (FIG. 6), or by using a twist tie (not shown), or by anymethod or means shown and described herein.

[0058] Unless the sheet of material 22 is precisely sized to fit theouter surface 18 of the basket 12, overlapping folds 39 (only one suchoverlapping fold being designated with a reference numeral and shown inFIG. 6) are formed in the sheet of material 22. The overlapping folds 39extend at different angles and over different lengths, and permit thesheet of material 22 to conform to the contours of the outer surface 18of the basket 12 to create a contoured and customized fit of the sheetof material 22 to the basket 12.

Embodiments of FIGS. 7-8

[0059] Shown in FIGS. 7-8 is a modified basket wrapping materialcohesive which is constructed exactly like the basket wrapping material10 shown in FIGS. 1-1A, and described in detail previously, except thatthe sheet of material 22 a is square instead of round, and the pluralityof bonding material spots 30 a on the upper surface 24 a of the sheet ofmaterial 22 a comprise a cohesive.

[0060] The outer periphery 28 a of the sheet of material 22 a iscomprised of four sides, namely a first side 40, a second side 42, athird side 44, and a fourth side 46. The basket 12 a comprises a basketidentical to the one shown and described in detail previously in FIG. 2,except at least one bonding material spot 30 aa is disposed on the outersurface 18 a of the basket 12 a, the bonding material spot 30 aagenerally conforming to the outer surface 18 a and substantiallycovering the outer surface 18 a of the basket 12 a. The bonding materialspot 30 aa comprises a cohesive. The spot 30 aa may be disposed on thebasket by any method shown or described herein.

[0061] After the bonding material spot 30 aa has been disposed on thebasket 12 a, the basket 12 a may be wrapped in the sheet of material 22a. The sheet of material 22 a is disposed about the basket 12 a byexactly the same method shown in FIGS. 1-6 and previously describedherein in detail. It will be appreciated the overlapping folds 39 (shownin FIG. 6, only one such overlapping fold being designated with areference numeral) are formed in the sheet of material 22 a, and createdby one portion of the upper surface 24 a sheet of material 22 a and thebonding material spots 30 a thereon (cohesive) contacting a similarportion thereof, and contacting the outer surface 18 a of the basket 12a having bonding material spots 30 aa thereon (which also comprises acohesive). The overlapping folds 39 extend at different angles and overdifferent lengths, and permit the sheet of material 22 a to conform tothe contours of the outer surface 18 a of the basket 12 a to create acustomized fit of the sheet of material 22 a to the basket 12 a (notshown).

The Embodiments of FIGS. 9-10

[0062] Illustrated in FIGS. 9-10 is a modified basket wrapping materiallob which is constructed exactly like the basket wrapping material 10shown in FIGS. 1-6, and described in detail previously, except that thesheet of material 22 b has bonding material spots 30 b on the uppersurface 24 b of the sheet of material 22 b which comprise a secondmaterial which comprises an adhesive.

[0063] The second material is incorporated partially (shown in FIG. 10)or completely (not shown) in the upper surface 24 b of the sheet ofmaterial 22 b during the extrusion process. The extrusion of man-madepolymers into film is well-known in the art. Alternatively, the bondingmaterial spots 30 b may be fastened to the sheet of material 22 b byheat sealing the bonding material spots 30 b to the sheet of material 22b, or, the bonding material spots may be capable of connecting andfastening themselves to the sheet of material 22 b, due to theircomposition, that is, the adhesive, the cohesive, or theadhesive/cohesive combination. It will be understood that the bondingmaterial spots 30 b may be fastened to the sheet of material 22 b, oralternatively, to the basket 12 b (not shown), or both (not shown), byany method shown and/or described herein.

[0064] A basket 12 b (not shown) may be wrapped in the sheet of material22 b. The sheet of material 22 b is disposed about the basket 12 b byexactly the same method shown in FIGS. 1-6 and previously describedherein in detail.

The Embodiments of FIGS. 11-13

[0065] A further embodiment and method of use is shown in FIGS. 11-13.The basket wrapping material 10 c is made in accordance with theembodiments shown and described in FIGS. 1-6 except a plurality ofsheets of material 22 c are connected together to form a pad 48 of sheetof material 22 c. The pad 48 comprises a plurality of sheet of material22 c stacked one on top of the other and positioned so that theperiphery 28 c of the sheets of material 22 c in the pad 48 aregenerally aligned about the edges thereof.

[0066] The pad 48 further comprises a top sheet of material 50, which isthe upper-most sheet of material 22 c in the pad 48, and a next sheet ofmaterial 52 disposed immediately thereunder, the other sheets ofmaterial 22 c being disposed under the next sheet of material 52 in thepad 48. Each sheet of material 22 c has bonding material spots 30 cdisposed thereon, preferably on the upper surface 24 c of each sheet ofmaterial 22 c, which are adjacent to and engagingly contact the sheet ofmaterial 22 c just below it in the pad 48 of sheets of material 22 c.The bonding material spots 30 c on each sheet of material 22 c fastensand connects to a portion of another sheet of material 22 c forcooperating to connect the sheets of material 22 c into the pad 48.

[0067] Each top sheet of material 50 and the pad 48 of sheets ofmaterial 22 c may be removed by lifting the top sheet of material 50 andreleasably detaching the top sheet of material 50 from the next sheet ofmaterial 52. In this manner, the next sheet of material 52 becomes thenew top sheet of material 50 and the sheet of material 22 c below thenew top sheet of material 50 becomes the new next sheet of material 52.

[0068] A method of use is illustrated by FIGS. 12-13. A plurality ofsheets of material 22 c in a pad 48, as previously described, areprovided. The operator generally grasps the top sheet 50 in the pad 48of sheets of material 22 c near the periphery 28 c thereof and lifts thesheet 22 c, thereby releasably detaching a portion of the top sheet 50from the upper surface 24 c of the next sheet of material 52, as shownin FIG. 12. The operator continues to lift the top sheet 50, and bylifting and releasably pulling the top sheet 50 away from the next sheetof material 52, as shown in FIG. 13, the operator then releasablydisconnects the top sheet of material 50 from the next sheet of material52 disposed under the top sheet of material So in the pad 48.

[0069] A basket 12 c (not shown) may then be wrapped using thedisconnected sheet of material 22 c. The sheet of material 22 c isdisposed about the basket 12 c by exactly the same method shown in FIGS.1-6 and previously described herein in detail.

[0070] It will be appreciated that when the top sheet of material 50 hasbeen releasably disconnected from the pad 48 in the manner justdescribed, the next sheet of material 52, under the top sheet ofmaterial 50, then provides a new top sheet of material 50 and theprocess can be repeated for disconnecting additional sheets of material22 c.

The Embodiment of FIG. 14

[0071]FIG. 14 shows another embodiment and method of use of the presentinvention. The basket wrapping material 10 d is exactly like the basketwrapping material 10 shown in FIG. 7 and described in detail previously,except that the basket wrapping material 10 d is contained as a roll 54and a dispenser 56. The plurality of sheets of material 22 d and theroll 54 are connected by perforations (the sheet of material 22 d shownpartially detached and turned upward for illustration purposes only).Alternatively, the roll 54 may simply be formed as a continuous roll 54without perforations, and the basket wrapping material 10 d may besevered into separate sheets of material 22 d by a serrated cutting edge(not shown) contained within the dispenser 56, or by a separate cuttingelement (not shown). Any number of sheets of material 22 d may form theroll 54 as long as it is possible to withdraw at least one sheet ofmaterial 22 d from the roll 54, as described previously.

[0072] Optionally, a release strip (not shown, but like the releasestrip 32 described previously) may be used to cover the upper surface 24d of the sheet of material 22 d. It will be appreciated that the releasestrip 32 will detach from the roll 54 in the same manner andsimultaneously, with the detachment of the sheet of material 22 d.

[0073] Referring to FIG. 14, after being withdrawn and detached from theroll 54, the sheet of material 22 d is disposed about the basket 12 d byexactly the same method shown in FIGS. 16 and 7-8, and previouslydescribed herein in detail.

Embodiments of FIG. 15

[0074] Illustrated in FIG. 15 is a modified basket wrapping 10 e whichis constructed exactly like the basket wrapping material 10 shown inFIGS. 1-6 and described in detail previously, except that the sheet ofmaterial 22 e is rolled into a continuous roll 58 of basket wrappingmaterial 10 e without a dispenser. In this embodiment, only one sheet ofmaterial 22 e is included in the roll 58, although a plurality of sheetsof material 22 e could be included in the roll 58. The rolled sheet ofmaterial 22 e acts as its own release strip, thereby protecting thebonding material spots 30 e on the upper surface 24 e of the sheet ofmaterial 22 e.

[0075] Referring to FIG. 15, the sheet of material 22 e is rolled outand disposed about the outer surface 18 e of a basket 12 e (not shown)by exactly the same method shown in FIGS. 1-6, and previously describedin detail herein.

Embodiments of FIG. 16

[0076] Disclosed in FIG. 16 is a modified basket wrapping material 10 fwhich is constructed exactly like the basket wrapping material 10 shownin FIGS. 1-6, and described in detail previously, except that thebonding material spots 30 f are disposed on the outer surface 18 f ofthe basket 12 f, the bonding material spots 30 f comprise an adhesive,and the sheet of material 22 f does not comprise bonding material spots30 f.

[0077] It will be appreciated that the bonding material spots 30 fcovering the outer surface 18 f of the basket 12 f may comprise a solidsection, or, alternatively, bonding material spots as previouslydescribed, or any combination thereof. In the present embodiment, thebonding material spots 30 f on the base portion of the basket 12 fcomprise hearts, while on the handle 21 f, the bonding material spots 30f comprise a solid strip. While the bonding material spots 30 f comprisean adhesive, it will be appreciated that the bonding material spots 30 fcould also comprise a second material, comprising an adhesive, acohesive, or an adhesive/cohesive combination, as previously describedherein.

[0078] Referring to FIG. 16, the sheet of material 22 f is disposedabout the basket 12 f by exactly the same method shown in FIGS. 4-6, andpreviously described in detail herein.

[0079] In a further embodiment (not shown), it will also be appreciatedthat the bonding material spots could also be disposed both on the outersurface of the basket and on the upper surface of the sheet of material.In this embodiment, the sheet of material would be wrapped about thebasket by any method previously shown and/or described herein.

The Embodiments and Methods of FIGS. 17-22

[0080] Disclosed in FIGS. 17-22 is a modified basket wrapping materiallog which is constructed exactly like the basket wrapping material 10shown in FIGS. 1-6, and described in detail previously, except that aplurality of bonding material spots 30 g are disposed in a particulararrangement on the upper surface 24 g of the sheet of material 22 g, theplurality of bonding material spots 30 g being arranged such that saidbonding material spots 30 g cooperate to provide both a bow 60 at thetop of the wrapped basket and a closure of the sheet of material 22 gabout a basket 12 g. Both the bow 60 and the closure are formed when theplurality of bonding material spots 30 g are connected together in themethod described below.

[0081] It will be understood that the plurality of bonding materialspots 30 g disposed on the sheet of material 22 g provide one schematicexample of forming a combined closure and bow 60. It will also beunderstood by those having ordinary skill in the art, after viewing thepresent disclosure, that the plurality of bonding material spots 30 gmay be arranged in a different manner, and still form the combined andsimultaneous bow 60 and closure.

[0082] The sheet of material 22 g shown in FIG. 17 and described indetail herein has a plurality bf oval-shaped bonding material spots 30 gnumbering, but not by way of limitation, sixteen oval-shaped bondingmaterial spots 30 g in the present embodiment, which are disposed on theupper surface 24 g of the sheet of material and positioned near andaround the outer periphery 28 g of the sheet of material in a generallysymmetrical manner. FIGS. 18-20 show a sectional view of a portion ofthe upper surface 24 g of the sheet of material 22 g near the third side44 g of the sheet of material 22 g shown in FIG. 17, the sectional viewtaken from the area encircled. FIG. 19 shows, in part, the beginning ofthe formation of both the bow 60 and the closure of the sheet ofmaterial 22 g which is after a basket 12 g has been disposed on thesheet of material 22 g and the sheet of material 22 g is wrapped aboutthe outer surface 18 g of the basket 12 g. FIG. 19 shows one of theplurality or loops which forms both the bow 60 and the closure, whileFIG. 20 shows two of the plurality of loops.

[0083] In a general method of use, as illustrated in FIGS. 17-22, asheet of material 22 g is provided, and a basket 12 g is disposedthereupon (shown above). The sheet of material 22 g is gathered aboutthe basket 12 g in any method previously shown or described herein. Theouter periphery 28 g of the sheet of material 22 g is extended abovebasket 12 g. Then, the method disclosed in FIGS. 19-22 is begun. Thatis, one-half of each spot 30 g is connected to one-half of the nearestadjacent spot 30 g. For purposes of illustration only, three of theplurality of bonding material spots 30 g illustrated in FIGS. 18-20 arenumbered as bonding material spots 30 g, 30 gg and 30 gg′, respectively.As shown in FIG. 19, one-half of bonding material spot 30 g is bonded toone-half of bonding material spot 30 gg to form one of the plurality ofloops 62 (only one loop designated by the numeral 62) which form boththe bow 60 and the closure. As illustrated in FIG. 20, one-half ofbonding material spot 30 gg is then bonded to one-half of bondingmaterial spot 30 gg′ to form yet another of the plurality of loops 62.This process is continued until all of the plurality of bonding materialspots 30 g are connected together by the method disclosed herein andillustrated in FIGS. 18-22.

[0084] It will be appreciated that a certain amount of crimping may beprovided below the bow 60, but it will also be appreciated that thesheet of material 22 g will naturally crimp itself somewhat below thebow 60 in providing portions of the sheet of material which tuck inwardwhile other portions of the sheet of material loop outward, providingthe plurality of loops 62 which form the bow 60. Therefore, as shown inthis embodiment, but not by way of limitation, there is a bow 60 formedwhich comprises a plurality of loops 62 (sixteen loops in the presentembodiment) and a simultaneous closure of the sheet of material 22 gabout the basket 12 g, said closure forming a wrapping 64 about thebasket 12 g.

[0085] In alternative embodiments, it will be appreciated that a similarclosure could be created with fewer bonding material spots 30 g, or,alternatively, by skipping every other spot, to create, for example butnot by way of limitation, a bow with eight loops, or, alteratively, fourloops, or any other number of loops which formed both a bow and asimultaneous closure of the sheet of material 22 g about the basket 12g. That is, if only a bonding material spot 30 g in each corner of thesheet of material 22 g were utilized, along with a bonding material spot30 g disposed inbetween each corner (a total, for example only, of eightbonding material spots) then, by the method described above, said eightbonding material spots would form both a closure of the sheet ofmaterial 22 g about the basket 12 g and a bow 60 having eight loops 64.If only the bonding material spots 30 g disposed in each corner of thesheet of material 22 g were utilized, then by the method describedabove, said four bonding material spots 30 g would form both a closureand a bow 60 having four loops 62. It will be apparent to one havingordinary skill in the art that disposing different numbers of bondingmaterial spots 30 g and differing the arrangement of the plurality ofbonding material spots 30 g on the sheet of material 22 g will createclosures and bows 60 having differing numbers and/or sizes of loops 62.

The Embodiments and Methods of FIGS. 23-28

[0086] Disclosed in FIGS. 23-28 is a modified basket wrapping material10 h which is constructed exactly like the basket wrapping material 10shown in FIGS. 17-22 and described in detail previously, except that thesheet of material 22 h is round, and the plurality of bonding materialspots 30 h disposed thereon are disposed about and near the round outerperiphery 28 h of the sheet of material 22 h in a more asymmetricalpattern than that described above and shown in FIGS. 17-22, theplurality of bonding material spots 30 h being each a pair of bondingmaterial spots 30 h. The present embodiment and method also provides acombined method of forming a bow 60 and a method of closure when thesheet of material 22 h is wrapped about a basket 12 h to form a wrapping64 h.

[0087] The sheet of material 22 h shown in FIG. 23 and described indetail herein has a plurality of bonding material spots 30 h (each spot30 h designating the pair of spots 30 h) disposed on the upper surface24 h of the sheet of material and positioned about and near the outerperiphery 28 h of the sheet of material 22 h in a more asymmetricalpattern than that described above and shown in FIGS. 17-22. FIG. 24-26shows-a sectional view of a portion of the upper surface 24 h of thesheet of material 22 h near the outer periphery 28 h said portion shownin FIG. 23, the sectional view taken from the area encircled. FIG. 25shows, in part, the beginning of the formation of both the bow 60 h andthe closure of the sheet of material 22 h which is after a basket 12 hhas been disposed on the sheet of material 22 h and the sheet ofmaterial 22 h has been wrapped about the outer surface 18 h of thebasket 12 h. FIG. 25 shows one of the plurality of loops which formsboth the bow 60 and the closure, while FIG. 26 shows two of theplurality of loops.

[0088] In a general method of use, as illustrated in FIGS. 25-28, asheet of material 22 h is provided, and a basket 12 h is disposedthereupon (shown above). The sheet of material 22 h is gathered aboutthe basket 12 h in any method previously shown or described herein. Theouter periphery 28 h of the sheet of material 22 h is extended abovebasket 12 h. Then, the method disclosed in FIGS. 25-28 is begun. Thatis, one spot 30 h of the pair of spots 30 h is connected to the nearestspot 30 of the nearest adjacent pair of spots 30 h. For purposes ofillustration only, three of the plurality of bonding material spot pairs30 h illustrated in FIGS. 24-26 are numbered as bonding material pairspots 30 h, 30 hh and 30 hh′, respectively. As shown in FIG. 25, theright spot of the bonding material spot pair 30 h is bonded to the leftspot of the bonding material spot pair 30 hh to form one of theplurality of loops 62 h (only one loop designated by the numeral 62 h)which form both the bow 60 h and the closure. As illustrated in FIG. 26,the right spot of the bonding material spot pair 30 hh is bonded to theleft spot of the bonding material spot pair 30 hh′ to form another ofthe plurality of loops 62 h. This process is continued until all of theplurality of bonding material spots 30 h are connected together by themethod disclosed herein and illustrated in FIGS. 24-28.

[0089] It will be appreciated that a certain amount of crimping may beprovided below the bow 60 h, but it will also be appreciated that thesheet of material 22 h will naturally crimp itself somewhat below thebow 60 h in providing portions of the sheet of material 22 h which tuckinward while other portions of the sheet of material 22 h loop outward,providing the plurality of loops 62 h which form the bow 60 h.Therefore, as shown in this embodiment, but not by way of limitation,there is a bow 60 h formed which comprises a plurality of loops 62 h(sixteen loops in the present embodiment) and a simultaneous closure ofthe sheet of material 22 h about the basket 12 h, said closure forming awrapping 64 h about the basket 12 h.

[0090] It will further be appreciated that, in another alternative,rather than the bonding material spot pairs 30 h, there may instead be aprovided an alternative bonding material spot pair 30 h wherein one inthe pair of spots comprises a bonding material, and wherein the other inthe pair of spots comprises only a designation, such as, but not by wayof limitation, a circle or spot printed on the sheet of material 22 h,said circle or spot providing a designation as to where the adjacentbonding material spot of the adjacent bonding material spot pair 30 h isto be adhered. This procedure is identical to that described above indetail, and as shown in FIGS. 24-26, except that, rather than adheringbonding material spot-to-bonding material spot, an operator wouldinstead adhere a bonding material spot to a designated circle ormarking. In alternative embodiments, it will be appreciated that asimilar closure could be created with fewer bonding material spot pairs30 h, or, alternatively, by skipping every other spot, to create, forexample but not by way of limitation, a bow with eight loops, or,alteratively, four loops, or any other number of loops which formed botha bow and a simultaneous closure of the sheet of material 22 h about thebasket 12 h. That is, if only a bonding material spot pair 30 g in eachcorner of the sheet of material 22 g were utilized, along with a bondingmaterial spot pair 30 g disposed inbetween each corner (a total, forexample only, of eight bonding material spot pairs) then, by the methoddescribed above, said eight bonding material spot pairs would form botha closure of the sheet of material 22 h about the basket 12 h and a bow60 h having eight loops 62 h. If only the bonding material spot pairs 30h disposed in each corner of the sheet of material 22 h were utilized,then by the method described above, said four bonding material spotpairs 30 h would form both a closure and a bow 60 h having four loops 62h. It will be apparent to one having ordinary skill in the art thatdisposing different numbers of bonding material spots 30 h and differingthe arrangement of the plurality of bonding material spot pairs 30 h onthe sheet of material 22 h will create closures and bows 60 h havingdiffering numbers and/or sizes of loops 62 h.

The Embodiments and Methods of FIGS. 29-31

[0091] Disclosed in FIGS. 29-31 is a modified basket wrapping material10 i which is identical to the basket material 10 and the sheet ofmaterial 22 described previously, except that the sheet of material 22 iis formed into the shape of a bag 70. The bag 70 has an upper end 72, aclosed lower end 74 and an outer peripheral surface 76. An opening 77 isformed in the upper end 72, which forms an inner peripheral surface 78and a basket retaining space 80. A plurality of bonding material spots30 i, similar to those shown previously in FIGS. 17-22 and describedabove, are disposed on the inner peripheral surface 78 of the bag 70,being disposed about and near the opening 77. It will be understood thatthe bag 70 has all of the characteristics previously described hereinfor the basket wrapping material 10 and the sheet of material 22. Itwill also be appreciated that the bag may form any shape, as long as itfunctions as described herein.

[0092] In a general method of use, as illustrated in FIGS. 29-31, a bag70 is provided, and a basket 12 i is disposed therein, in the basketretaining space 80 (not shown). Once the basket 12 i is disposed in thebag 70, the upper end 72 of the bag 70 is gathered together in the samemethod shown in FIGS. 17-22 and described in detail above. The pluralityof bonding material spots 30 i are bonded together by the methodpreviously shown and described to form both a bow 60 i and a closure ofthe bag 70.

[0093] Alternative embodiments, as described previously herein, may alsobe utilized with the bag 70, as can alternative methods of forming thebow 60 i and the closure of the bag 70.

The Embodiments and Methods of FIGS. 32-34

[0094] Disclosed in FIGS. 32-34 is a modified basket wrapping material10 j which is identical to the basket material 10 and the sheet ofmaterial 22 described previously, except that the sheet of material 22 jis formed into the shape of a sleeve 82. The sleeve 82 has an upper end84, a lower end 86 and an outer peripheral surface 88. An opening 90 isformed in the upper end 84 and extends through the lower end 86, whichforms an inner peripheral surface 92 and a basket retaining space 94. Itwill be appreciated that the lower end 86 of the sleeve 82 may also beleft closed (not shown), or may be closed before or after a basket 12 jis disposed in the basket retaining space 94 (not shown).

[0095] A plurality of bonding material spots 30 j are disposed on theinner peripheral surface 88 of the sleeve 82 about and near the opening90. These plurality of bonding material spots 30 i may be disposed inany manner as described above, but for purposes of this embodiment, areshown as identical to the plurality of bonding material spots shown inFIGS. 17-22 and described in detail above.

[0096] It will be understood that the sleeve 82 has all of thecharacteristics previously described herein for the basket wrappingmaterial 10 and the sheet of material 22. It will be understood that thesleeve 82 may be formed from one sheet of material 22 j wrapped in acylindrical, frusto-conical or reverse frusto-conical shape, the sheetof material 22 j connecting to itself. Alternatively, it will beappreciated that any sleeve 82 shown and/or described herein may formany shape as long as the sleeve 82 functions as described herein.

[0097] In one alternative, the sleeve 82 may be formed from a firstsheet of material 22 j and a second sheet of material 22 jj (not shown).In this alternative embodiment, the second sheet of material 22 jj isdisposed upon and aligned with the first sheet of material 22 j. Thenthe first sheet of material 22 j and the second sheet of material 22 jjare connected together to form a sleeve 82, by connecting, for examplebut not by way of limitation, the first side 40 j of the first sheet ofmaterial 22 j with the first side of the second sheet of material 22 jj,and by connecting the second side 42 j of the first sheet of material 22j with the second side 42 jj of the second sheet of material, saidconnection made by the bonding material described herein, by heatsealing, by lacquer, or by any other method known in the art.

[0098] In a general method of use, as illustrated in FIGS. 32-34, asleeve 82 and a basket 12 j are provided. The basket 12 j is disposed inthe basket retaining space 94 of the sleeve 82 (not shown). It will beunderstood that a portion of the sleeve 82 is of a smaller diameter thanthe outer surface 18 j of the basket 12 j, so that the basket 12 j isfrictionally held within the basket retaining space 94 of the sleeve 82.Once the basket 12 j is disposed in the basket retaining space 94 of thesleeve 82, the upper end 84 of the sleeve 82 is gathered together in thesame method shown in FIGS. 17-22 and described in detail above. Theplurality of bonding material spots 30 j are bonded together by themethod previously shown and described to form both a bow 60 j and aclosure of the bag upper end 84 of the sleeve 82.

[0099] Alternative embodiments, as described previously herein, may alsobe utilized with the sleeve 82, as can alternative methods of formingthe bow 60 j and the closure of the sleeve 82. It will be appreciatedthat additional closure means, such as bonding material or other closuremeans previously described herein, may optionally be added to any of theabove described embodiments to assist in closure of the wrapping.

[0100] Changes may be made in the embodiments of the invention describedherein, or in parts or elements of the embodiments described herein, orin the sequence of steps of the methods described herein withoutdeparting from the spirit and/or scope of the invention as defined inthe following claims.

What is claimed is:
 1. A basket wrapping material forming a bow in awrapping wrapped about a basket, comprising: a basket having an upperend, a lower end and an outer surface, a basket opening being formed inthe basket with a portion of the basket opening intersecting the upperend of the basket forming an inner surface, the basket opening beingsized and shaped for receiving items and the items being retained in thebasket opening by the basket; a basket wrapping material, comprising asheet of material having an upper surface, a lower surface, and an outerperiphery, the sheet of material being constructed of a flexiblematerial, the sheet of material having a plurality of bonding materialsbeing disposed on at least one surface of the sheet of material, saidplurality of bonding materials utilized to form both a bow and a closurein the sheet of material, wherein the sheet of material wraps about theouter periphery of the basket, the outer periphery of the sheet ofmaterial extending above the basket, thereby forming a wrapping aboutsaid basket, wherein one of the plurality of bonding materials isconnected to another of the plurality of bonding materials adjacentthereto, thereby creating a loop in the outer periphery of the sheet ofmaterial, and wherein both a bow and a closure in the sheet of materialis formed when each of the plurality of adjacent bonding materials isconnected together thereby creating a plurality of loops in the outerperiphery of the sheet of material, said plurality of loops forming botha bow above the wrapping and a closure of the sheet of material aboutthe basket.
 2. The basket wrapping material of claim 1 wherein thematerial is selected from the group consisting of polymer film, fabric,cloth, fiber, paper, burlap, cellulose, foil or combinations thereof. 3.The basket wrapping material of claim 1 wherein the sheet of materialcomprises a thickness in a range of about 0.2 mils to about 10 mils. 4.The basket wrapping material of claim 1 wherein the sheet of materialcomprises a thickness in a range of about 0.5 mils to about 3.5 mils. 5.The basket wrapping material of claim 1 wherein the bonding materialcomprises a plurality of adhesive spots extending about the outerperiphery of the sheet of material.
 6. The basket wrapping material ofclaim 1 wherein the bonding material comprises a plurality of cohesivespots extending about the outer periphery of the sheet of material. 7.The basket wrapping material of claim 1 wherein the sheet of materialfurther comprises a bag.
 8. The basket wrapping material of claim 1wherein the sheet of material further comprises a sleeve.
 9. A basketwrapping material forming a bow in a wrapping about an outer peripheryof a basket, comprising: a basket wrapping material, comprising a sheetof material having an upper surface, a lower surface, and an outerperiphery, the sheet of material being constructed of a flexiblematerial, the sheet of material having a plurality of bonding materialsbeing disposed on at least one surface of the sheet of material, saidplurality of bonding materials utilized to form both a bow and a closurein the sheet of material, wherein the sheet of material wraps about anouter periphery of a basket, the outer periphery of the sheet ofmaterial extending above a basket, thereby forming a wrapping about abasket, wherein one of the plurality of bonding materials is connectedto another of the plurality of bonding materials adjacent thereto,thereby creating a loop in the outer periphery of the sheet of material,and wherein both a bow and a closure in the sheet of material is formedwhen each of the plurality of adjacent bonding materials is connectedtogether thereby creating a plurality of loops in the outer periphery ofthe sheet of material, said plurality of loops forming both a bow abovethe wrapping and a closure of the sheet of material about a basket. 10.The basket wrapping material of claim 9 wherein the material is selectedfrom the group consisting of polymer film, fabric, cloth, fiber, paper,burlap, cellulose, foil or combinations thereof.
 11. The basket wrappingmaterial of claim 9 wherein the sheet of material comprises a thicknessin a range of about 0.2 mils to about 10 mils.
 12. The basket wrappingmaterial of claim 9 wherein the sheet of material comprises a thicknessin a range of about 0.5 mils to about 3.5 mils.
 13. The basket wrappingmaterial of claim 9 wherein the bonding material comprises a pluralityof adhesive spots extending about the outer periphery of the sheet ofmaterial.
 14. The basket wrapping material of claim 9 wherein thebonding material comprises a plurality of cohesive spots extending aboutthe outer periphery of the sheet of material.
 15. The basket wrappingmaterial of claim 1 wherein the sheet of material further comprises abag.
 16. The basket wrapping material of claim 1 wherein the sheet ofmaterial further comprises a sleeve.
 17. A method for wrapping a basketand forming a bow with a basket wrapping material, comprising: providinga basket having an upper end, a lower end and an outer surface, a basketopening being formed in the basket with a portion of the basket openingintersecting the upper end of the basket forming an inner surface, thebasket opening being sized and shaped for receiving items and the itemsbeing retained in the basket opening by the basket; providing a basketwrapping material, comprising a sheet of material having an uppersurface, a lower surface, and an outer periphery, the sheet of materialbeing constructed of a flexible material, the sheet of material having aplurality of bonding materials being disposed on at least one surface ofthe sheet of material, said plurality of bonding materials forming botha bow and a closure in the sheet of material; disposing the basket uponthe sheet of material; gathering the sheet of material together aboutthe outer periphery of the basket, the outer periphery of the sheet ofmaterial extending above the basket, thereby forming a wrapping aboutsaid basket; connecting one of the plurality of bonding materials toanother of the plurality of bonding materials adjacent thereto, therebycreating a loop in the outer periphery of the sheet of material; andforming both a bow and a closure in the sheet of material by continuingto connect together the plurality of adjacent bonding materials therebycreating a plurality of loops in the outer periphery of the sheet ofmaterial, said plurality of loops forming both a bow above the wrappingand a closure of the sheet of material about the basket.
 18. The methodof claim 17 wherein in the step of providing a basket wrapping material,the basket wrapping material is selected from the group consisting ofpolymer film, fabric, cloth, fiber, paper, burlap, cellulose, foil orcombinations thereof.
 19. The method of claim 17 wherein in the step ofproviding a basket wrapping material, the sheet of material comprises athickness in a range of about 0.2 mils to about 10 mils.
 20. The methodof claim 17 wherein in the step of providing a basket wrapping material,the sheet of material comprises a thickness in a range of about 0.5 milsto about 3.5 mils.
 21. The method of claim 17 wherein in the step ofproviding a basket wrapping material, the bonding material comprises aplurality of adhesive spots extending about the outer periphery of thesheet of material.
 22. The method of claim 17 wherein in the step ofproviding a basket wrapping material, the bonding material comprises aplurality of cohesive spots extending about the outer periphery of thesheet of material.
 23. The method of claim 17 wherein in the step ofproviding a basket wrapping material, the sheet of material furthercomprises a bag.
 24. The method of claim 17 wherein in the step ofproviding a basket wrapping material, the sheet of material furthercomprises a sleeve.